PRE-INTERMEDIATE
Case studies: Teacher’s notes
CASE STUDY 1:
INTERNET ACCESS
This case study is based on the issue of whether or
not company employees should have free access to
the Internet at work. Students begin by looking at
the results of a survey on Internet access at work and
discuss which of the groups in the survey they would
be in. They then read an article about nine council
workers who were sacked for spending up to two
hours a day on eBay™, the popular auction site, when
they should have been working. This leads on to a
simulated meeting in which students assume different
roles within a company and discuss their views on
Internet use in order to decide on a company policy.
Finally, they listen to a company director talking about
her company’s email and Internet policy and see if
they reached the same conclusions in their discussion.
Warm-up
Write the words Internet access on the board and
brainstorm the possible advantages and disadvantages
for both employers and employees of granting free
Internet access to people when they are at work.
1 Focus attention on the results of the survey and give
students a moment or two to take them in. Then ask them
to discuss the questions in groups and be prepared to
report back to the class on their discussions. You might
like to use the results to get students to produce their own
bar chart to show their answers to the question about
having and using Internet access at work.
2 Draw students’ attention to the headline of the article
and ask them to predict what the article is about. Find
out if they know of any similar cases where workers have
been sacked or punished for spending time on the Internet
when they should have been working. Go through the
questions with the class and then ask them to read the
article and find the answers. Answer any questions they
may have about the content of the article or any new
vocabulary. Elicit students’ reactions to the text and find
out if they have more sympathy with the sacked workers or
their employer.
ANSWERS
a He wanted to investigate the amount of time council staff spent
on the Internet.
b They were visiting shopping, entertainment and BBC/Sky-related
websites (websites run by television companies).
c He appeared to have some sympathy with the workers who were
tempted to access these sites and he felt it was the council’s
responsibility to prevent workers from being able to access sites
unconnected with their work during working hours.
d He thinks they should make changes to their IT system and
install firewalls to prevent staff from accessing these sites at any
time other than their lunch breaks.
3 Put students into groups of four and give them time
to read the roles and decide who will be A, B, C and D.
Remind them of the sort of language we use to express
opinions and react to them. For example: I think that …;
In my opinion, …; I agree; I don’t agree, Yes, but …; Isn’t it
the case that …?, etc. It would be helpful to put this up on
the board so that students can refer to it while they are
holding their meeting. Students may need to prepare what
they are going to say as homework. Allow them to make
notes, but discourage them from writing down whole
sentences which they then simply read out. It might help
them run the meeting more efficiently if they decide who
will chair it and choose someone to take notes. The chair
can then make sure everyone contributes and can lead and
structure the discussion. As they have their meeting, go
round giving help and encouragement. Encourage them to
formulate a clear policy. Get each group to present their
policy to the rest of the class.
Ask your student to decide whether he/she
1:1 wants to argue for free Internet access or
against it. You can then take the opposing
point of view. You can both use arguments
from other roles if you wish.
4
CS1 Go through the instructions with students
and allow them time to read the six sentences so that they
know what information to listen for. Play the recording
and ask them to complete the sentences. You may need to
pause the recording (at the three paragraph breaks) and/or
play it more than once to allow students to do this.
ANSWERS
a
b
c
d
e
f
sign
emails
breaks
Internal
download
boyfriend
CS1
We introduced our policy in the late nineties at the time
when every employee was given access to the Internet as
well as email. Now, every new member of staff is asked
to sign the policy at induction, and they are then given a
copy of their own to keep.
The policy is two pages long, and it forms part of our
employee handbook. It covers things like personal use
and emails between colleagues, as well as downloads. It
is very clear about what will happen if the rules are not
followed. We feel it is important to spell the rules out
clearly from the beginning. That way everyone knows
what is expected of them.
In Company 3.0 Pre-intermediate © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014
CASE STUDIES
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Basically, we do allow employees to use the Internet
for personal use, and to send and receive personal
emails, but only during breaks. We try and make sure
that people are very careful about the things that they
download – we have to make sure our IT system is
protected against viruses. Also, we don’t allow employees
to send internal emails that are not related to work. This
is to prevent people sending round external emails and
disrupting others when they are supposed to be working.
We have only had to enforce the policy once. This was
when we realized that a key employee was in the habit
of spending whole days emailing her boyfriend. We took
action, and the result was that she became more focused
on her job. Also, the rest of the employees could see
that we take the policy seriously, and will enforce it if
necessary, even against key members of staff.
5 Have a quick feedback session to find out which group
3
CS2 Make sure students understand that they will
hear three people on the recording: the interviewer, Ron
White and Peter Jones. Go through the questions with the
class first so that they know what information to listen
out for.
ANSWERS
aIt will be some kind of plan to reduce costs by laying off some of
the workforce.
bBecause the plant really has to be at the source of the water.
Moving the plant elsewhere and transporting the water to the
plant would be too expensive.
cThe union is very upset by what has happened because its
members’ livelihoods are at risk. It feels the company has a
responsibility to act quickly to keep people employed while a new
plant is built.
dHe says it would be totally unacceptable for the company to close,
as there will be an insurance payout and the brand is a good one.
thinks their policy most closely matches Emily Pearce’s.
CASE STUDY 2:
CRISTAL MALVERN
This case study is based on the topic of how a
company can overcome a disastrous fire and still
remain in business. The company concerned produces
bottled water and is located next to the spring that
is the source of its product. When a fire completely
destroys the factory and offices of the company, the
management has to decide what to do.
Warm-up
Ask students if they know of any company that has had
to face a disaster such as a major fire, flood, deliberate
tampering with a product by someone with a grudge
against the company, or anything else which has put its
future in jeopardy. Get them to say what the company did
and how successful the strategy was.
1 Put students into groups to discuss the questions.
Encourage them to report back to the class.
Discuss the questions with your student and be
1:1 prepared to contribute information about your
own use of bottled water.
2 Go through the instructions with students first, so that
they know what information to look for. Then give them
time to read the article and decide on their answers.
ANSWERS
The factory and offices of a mineral water company were
completely destroyed in a fire.
The bottling plant was situated next to the spring from where the
water came. It would not be possible to move to another location,
because the plant has to be at the source of the water.
CS2
A: Mr Jones, this is obviously a tremendous blow to
Cristal Malvern. Is there anything you can tell us
about the future of the company?
B: It’s a bit early to say, but obviously the fact that the
whole plant has been destroyed is a total disaster. We
are still waiting to see if anything can be salvaged,
but it doesn’t look like we will be able to start
production for a very long time.
A: What about the workforce?
B: That’s our major concern at the moment. As I say, we
haven’t made any decisions yet, but I’m afraid some
sort of adjustment plan will be necessary. We will
of course do what we can to protect as many jobs as
possible.
A: Are you worried about the future of the brand?
B: Of course. Unfortunately, because of the nature of
our product, we can’t just move to another location,
because this is where the water comes from. We will
have to look at our options.
A: Thank you, Mr Jones. I also have with me Ron White,
who represents the main union active at the plant.
Mr White, how are people feeling?
C: We are all shattered by what has happened. The
livelihood of dozens of people has gone up in flames.
It’s not just the people who work in the plant, but
also the local community. I don’t know what’s going
to happen. I think the company has a responsibility
to do what it can to keep people employed while a
new plant is built.
A: There is a rumour the company may have to close.
C: That would be totally unacceptable. After all, we all
know that there will be an insurance payout. Cristal
Malvern is a company with years of tradition behind
it. Our water has some exceptional qualities, and
it would not make any business sense at all for the
brand to disappear. We are all prepared to co-operate,
but the company must take the initiative and it must
do it quickly.
A: Thank you, Mr White. And good luck. Now back to
the studio …
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4 Put students into groups of four and ask each member
of a group to choose a different role. Allow plenty of
time for them to read their roles and decide what to say
in the meeting. Ask each group to decide who will lead
the meeting. As students hold their meetings, go round
offering help where necessary. Encourage them to come to
a definite conclusion about what the company should do.
Get each group to report back to the class on its decision
and the reasons for it.
Ask your student to choose one of the roles,
1:1 and choose one for yourself which is opposed
to that of your student. Have a discussion
between the two of you. You can both use
arguments from other complementary roles if
you wish.
5 Students read a newspaper account of a similar
incident which actually happened in Spain in 2003. Keep
them in the same groups as for 4 and ask them to read
the article together and discuss the questions. Have a
class feedback session and find out how much consensus
there is.
CASE STUDY 3:
STAFF APPRAISAL
This case study discusses the issue of staff appraisal
and whether it is a useful procedure or a complete
waste of time which is potentially demotivating for
employees. Students begin by discussing the appraisal
system used within their own companies and listen
to a company director describing the scheme used
in her company. They then read entries from blogs
which present the problems that appraisal schemes
can create. The main exercise in this case study is a
simulated meeting in which students take the roles
of four people in an engineering company which
is experiencing problems with its staff appraisal
scheme. The case study ends with an article which
offers a radical alternative to traditional forms of staff
appraisal.
Warm-up
Check that everyone knows the meaning of the word
appraisal. Ask students if they think staff appraisals are
more commonly used to praise good work or to criticize
poor performance.
1 Put students into groups to discuss the questions and
encourage them to report back to the class in a feedback
session.
2
CS3 Give students time to read the words before
you play the recording so that they know which words to
listen out for.
ANSWERS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
chat
formal
goals
issues
objectives
measure
scale
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
form
expectations
feedback
report
timescales
motivation
anonymous
CS3
A: Anglesey Sea Zoo is Wales’ largest marine aquarium,
attracting over 75,000 visitors per year. Director
and partner Alison Lea-Wilson describes how the
company introduced an appraisal system that has
proved to be a key motivator for its 25 staff.
B: When we started our appraisals a few years ago,
they were more of an informal chat. As we grew, we
decided to introduce twice-yearly formal appraisals.
We wanted to ensure that employees’ work matched
the goals of the business. We also wanted to provide a
chance to recognize good performance and deal with
any issues. We based the performance objectives on
each employee’s job description. We talked to staff
so that the objectives could be agreed in advance and
they knew what to expect. That was very important,
because the majority of our performance objectives
aren’t things which are easy to measure – like
sales, for example – so we use a scoring system.
Each objective is rated on a scale of one to four,
and both managers and employees fill in the form.
Comparing the two sets of ratings can be very useful
for identifying differences in expectations and
perceptions.
The process is formal. We invite staff to their
appraisals in writing, and they get a copy of the
appraisal form to fill in before the interview. The
completed form is then discussed during the
appraisal itself. There is an emphasis on constructive
feedback, but as well as talking about performance,
we discuss what kind of training might help
employees achieve their goals. After the appraisal,
team leaders write a report of the discussion and put
action points and timescales against each item before
giving a copy to the employee.
We have found that a system where staff can express
their views and have issues and problems addressed
is definitely good for motivation. It’s also good to
have a formal way of telling people when they’ve
done a good job. We know this, because we conduct
anonymous staff surveys to assess the effectiveness
of our appraisals.
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3 Ask the whole class the first question, then put them
into pairs to produce a summary of what the speaker said.
Get several pairs to read their summaries to the class.
ANSWER
Yes, it is successful.
4 Give students time to read the blogs and the list of
problems. When you have checked answers, ask them for
their own opinions.
ANSWERS
a
b
c
d
e
Extract B
Extract A
Extract C
Extract C
Extract A
5 Go through the instructions and the roles with the
class and then ask them to get into groups and take one
role each. Ask them to decide who will lead the meeting
and to appoint someone to take notes. Allow preparation
time for them to decide how their character would express
his or her views at the meeting. Allow them to make notes,
but discourage them from writing scripts. When they
are having their meetings, go round offering help and
encouragement. Tell them to try to come to a decision on
what to do. In a class feedback session, ask the note-taker
from each group to report back on their meeting and the
decision they came to.
Ask your student to prepare arguments for one
1:1 of the roles and to let you know which one he/
she has chosen. You can then prepare
arguments for an opposing role and have a
two-person meeting.
6 Give students time to read the article and then have a
class discussion on whether or not they think 360-degree
feedback sounds like a good idea.
CASE STUDY 4:
COMPANY STRUCTURE
This case study is based on the issue of company
organization and which model works best. Students
begin by reading information about different types of
company structure and consider the advantages and
disadvantages of each of these. They also identify what
model their own company follows. This leads on to a
simulated meeting in which students assume the roles
of consultants discussing the best way to organize a
transport and logistics company which needs to
re-think its structure. They compare their decisions
with those taken by an actual company in Spain.
Warm-up
Ask your students to say why getting a company’s
structure right might be similar to a circus acrobatic act.
For example, both are a complicated balancing act – get
one element wrong, and it could spell disaster. In both
company structure and an acrobatic team, every part of
the team or every department must pull its weight or
the whole structure will topple. In a company, as in an
acrobatic team, members have to work together at the
same time as fulfilling their own individual roles.
1 Give students plenty of time to read the information
about the different types of company structure. Answer
any questions they may have about new vocabulary. Ask
them if they can think of any examples of companies
which are structured in the four ways mentioned in the
text. Put students into pairs or small groups to discuss
the questions. Encourage them to finish their discussion
before they compare their ideas with those on page 3.
2 Put students into groups of four and give them time
to read the background information and the roles and
decide who will be A, B, C and D. If the number of students
does not divide equally by four, have one bigger group
of five/six/seven, with the extra students doubling up
on roles (ideally stronger students working with weaker
students). Remind them of the sort of language we use to
express opinions and react to them. For example: I think
that …, In my opinion, …, I agree, I don’t agree, Yes, but …,
Isn’t it the case that …, etc. It would be helpful to put this
up on the board so that students can refer to it while
they are holding their meeting. Students may need to
prepare what they are going to say as homework. Allow
them to make notes, but discourage them from writing
down whole sentences which they then simply read out.
It might help them run the meeting more efficiently if
each group decides who will chair it and chooses someone
to take notes. The chair can then make sure everyone
contributes and can lead and structure the discussion. As
students have their meetings, go round giving help and
encouragement. Encourage them to come to a clear final
decision. Get each group to present its decision to the rest
of the class.
3 Keep students in the same groups and ask them to read
the text on page 3. The solution that the Spanish company
found includes details from the opinions of consultants B,
C and D, so students should find some similarities between
the structure of this company and the structure they
decided on for William Tucker Ltd.
Ask your student to choose one of the roles
1:1 from the four given. Choose one for yourself
which is different from that chosen by your
student so that you can have a discussion and
try to persuade each other to adopt your
viewpoint.
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CASE STUDY 5:
LINUX
The issue in this case study is the Linux computer
operating system, which many companies see as
an attractive alternative to Microsoft®. There are,
however, concerns that have to be discussed and
addressed before a company is likely to make the
switch to Linux. Students look at the issues involved
and then have a simulated meeting to discuss whether
a company trading in medical supplies should change
its operating system to Linux.
Warm-up
Find out if students have heard of Linux and if anyone
can explain what it is. Also find out their attitudes to
Microsoft. Does it worry them that one company seems
to have a stranglehold on the market? Have they heard of
open-source software (for which you do not have to pay),
and do they use any of it on their computers?
1 Put students into groups to discuss the questions and
ask them to report back to the class.
2 Give students plenty of time to read the article,
and answer any questions they may have about new
vocabulary. Have a class discussion on the questions.
4 Put students into groups of four and give them time
to read the roles and decide who will be A, B, C and D.
Remind them of the sort of language we use to express
opinions and react to them. For example: I think that …,
In my opinion, …, I agree, I don’t agree, Yes, but …, Isn’t it
the case that …, etc. It would be helpful to put this up on
the board, so that students can refer to it while they are
holding their meeting. Students may need to prepare what
they are going to say as homework. Allow them to make
notes, but discourage them from writing down whole
sentences which they then simply read out. It might help
them run the meeting more efficiently if they decide who
will chair it and choose someone to take notes. The chair
can then make sure everyone contributes and can lead and
structure the discussion. As they have their meeting, go
round giving help and encouragement. Encourage them to
make a definite decision. Get each group to present their
decision to the rest of the class.
Try to combine some of the roles so that your
1:1 student takes on all the arguments for one
point of view, and you take on all the
arguments for the opposing view. Then have a
discussion about what you should do.
5 Ask students to read the article and have a class
discussion on whether they think the company made the
right decision.
ANSWERS
Some companies are changing to Linux because it is cheaper than
Microsoft and can be adapted to meet their needs. Many of them
are annoyed by Microsoft’s pricing and licensing policies, and many
would prefer to use their money to support a local industry rather
than a US monopoly.
The main IT issue is whether the software is totally reliable, as a
loss of productivity caused by a technology problem is potentially
disastrous.
3 Ask students to read the article again and underline the
phrases.
ANSWERS
aLinux will take 20% of the market for desktop computers in large
institutions
b investigate the viability of Linux
c the risks are high
d time budget
e run on
f dictate terms to them
g budgets
h monopoly
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